When Karma ripens, are you strong enough to overcome it?

[DS Star]

"When the student first responds, generally there are obstacles that come up. Sometimes, and this is odd, when the student first finds the Path, they’ll be sick at first, physically sick. They’ll suddenly come down with everything you can possibly imagine... 

Sometimes they will actually ripen benignly, meaning that they will either go away, or not be a burden, not be a problem.

If the student feels anger, hatred, it must have been in their mind. So perhaps what happens is that obstacle of hatred, that actual obstacle, ripens and it comes to the surface, kind of like a bubble coming to the surface of a pond. Now you have an opportunity to live and breathe, and hold on to that stink, you know, of hatred. Or you have the opportunity through your practice—through practicing the antidote which is pure devotion, which is compassion, which is pure mindfulness—you have the opportunity to do what bubbles do. Come to the surface of the lake and simply pop!  Simply pop. What is a bubble once it is popped? Gone. Gone. And the first breath of kindness and compassion can surely blow it away."

Jetsuma Ahkon Lhamo

We only need to let go, to surrender and practice devotion... but are you willing and strong enough to do that? To just let go, or you will run away and continue to get angry?

[Q]

Wow... thank you for sharing. It's an extremely logical way of explaining how letting go works.

Once we recognize that these feelings - anger, jealousy, etc is not part of us, but merely something that is foreign in us, that can be eliminated... we should apply what was told by Jetsuma Ahkon Lhamo... that when the anger surfaces, just let it pop! then it's done and non existent anymore.

[Tenzin K]

Knowing dharma and live with the value is to prepare us to face our karma be it positive or negative. It’s just like training ourselves for a hundred meters run. We go to gym with a guide of an instructor who set a program for us to achieve our objectives and help us build our muscles to prevent us from injuries. This whole thing is preparing us for the run.
Having Guru to guide us, teach us and train us is just the same as preparing us to face our karma. When the karma ripens it’s on our own to choose how we want to deal with it but of course with the knowledge that we have learn.
Running from facing it will just make us suffer more and more as our karma will just roll like a snow ball and will reach at a point where we could not bear it anymore and give way and yet this doesn’t end here and we will continue to suffer as when we face it again we would choose to run away again and it will never end until we face it but with practicing the antidote.

[Big Uncle]

Karma is a funny thing and our minds and the way it operates is even funnier. Well, its really no laughing matter but we really do all things that we think brings us happiness and contentment but it rather brings us all the wrong conditions for unhappiness and sufferings. Somehow, the Guru with all the wisdom he possess is able to cut through our delusions and show us the truth and a way our of our sufferings. The funny thing is that we immediately reject because we either don't wanna face the truth and change or we are in shock at the reality of how we operate. Whatever the reasons, it has got nothing to do with the guru, who just shows us reality. It is actually our reaction and the way the truth provokes a very strong reaction in us. Instead of reacting adversely, we should stop to think things through and realize if this is the truth. The very fact that we are reacting reveals an element of truth in it. This consideration should be present in our contemplations before we even react. The truth can be ugly but we do not need to react in an ugly manner because of it.

[pgdharma]

“When we experience the results of our negative karma, we train ourselves to think, "It's good I'm having this problem because my negative karma is being consumed. This karma could have resulted in horrible suffering that lasted a long time in a miserable rebirth. I'm glad it's ripening now as a comparatively lesser suffering which I can manage. Because this karma is finishing, it will now be easier for me to progress on the path." We habituate ourselves to this way of thinking, and with it, we build up strength of character to endure suffering. This way of thinking works for Buddhists, but I wouldn't advise telling people who don't understand karma to practice like this. They could easily misunderstand.” Venerable Thubten Chodron

Training our mind this way, we are able to let go and make us a stronger person. The main thing is to be aware of what we are thinking and feeling; to determine whether our mental, verbal and physical actions are skillful or unskillful, virtuous or non-virtuous. However, if we chose to ignore the workings of karma, we tend to create many problems for ourselves and others.  We may not be strong, we put the blame on others, we are angry at others and we may even run away to avoid reality which eventually creates more sufferings for ourselves.

[angelsherfield]

By understanding the cause and effect, it helps people be strong to go through the toughness when karma ripens. it may create anger and other negative emotions. Hence we learn dharma to control our mind and emotion to deal with it, learn and grow up to be better person.

[Big Uncle]

Actually when karma ripens, there's nothing can stop it. What we can do is to mitigate further damages and consequences of the karma ripening. Hence, when we engage in purification practices, we are purifying negative karma that has not ripened yet but would ripen when its given the right conditions. Karma is very scary especially when it has ripened full force on someone. Hence, always engage in virtues and have the right motivation especially when one is within a Dharma environment because our negative karma can take over if we maintain a bad motivation.

[vajrastorm]

Whether we are strong enough or not, depends on whether we have trained the mind to accept and let go or not. If we still want to cling on to our anger and all our negative emotions, if we still allow, these negative emotions to hold us in their vice-like grip, we are doomed forever

The first thing to do is to work on our habituated negative emotions. Work on our anger or hatred by practicing the antidotes of compassion and patience. At all times , focus on Guru Devotion, surrendering    all to Guru and Protector. We ought to have the courage  to serve.

Focus on benefiting others.

[Midakpa]

When karma ripens, we experience the effects. Whether the student runs away or not depends on the degree of guru devotion and the level of his/her practice. If the guru devotion is strong, there is not much selfishness and there is mindfulness of one's delusions, generally, the student will make an effort to overcome the anger. This is the "fight", the internal battle that the student will have to win. But if the selfishness is strong, and there is no self-examination regarding one's faults, then it is possible that flight will be the consequence.

[yontenjamyang]

Generally without any refuge as a minimum, NO, no one is strong enough to "overcome" it. But than, having all of us been suffering from it since beginningless time? That is why we are still in samsara.

The difference between karma ripening while we are not on the path and while we are on the path is hugely different. The former is as though one collapse on the street without any help while the former is as though one collapse in the hospital's ER, where there are plenty of help. Karma ripening while on the path are needed and should be taken as the karma brought by the buddhas to forge us into being a Buddha we need to be. We can use these karma as a ground to practice. Better that than karma ripening without being on the path as the karma WILL ripen one day anyway.

[RedLantern]

Decisions in the past brought you to  where you are today.But, the actions and decisions you make this moment decide where you go from here.That's true of anyone,any where ,no matter what their past action. This is the freedom from karma as predestination on that the Buddha preach.When karma ripens forgive yourself and be patient and do what is appropriate.
If the precepts is violated,just take it with full awareness.That is all any of us can do.

[diablo1974]

Karma trails us by the day and night. Sometimes we strengthen the conditions for bad karma to arise and sometimes the good karma.  Most of the time , when we are weak emotionally and physically, bad conditions arises and karma comes. Its a good thing if we view it positively instead of whining over it which makes us even more depress. Always remember the teaching of impermanence, the good never last, so does the bad....as long as we are in samsara.

[Positive Change]

Can we really avoid for Karma to ripen?
I doubt it. But we can alter that karma and we can prepare for it.
 
I know I will fall ill with my growing age, but I can prepare for it, I can not avoid falling ill, but I can prepare myself for it, maybe to lessen the suffering, maybe to lessen the gravity of the illness.
I know that the global warming will bring more tornadoes, I can move away from areas prone to it, or I can prepare a shelter to protect me and my family when it arrives.
 
One of the ways to deal with karma is to do retreats.
Many times, illness or problems occur during a retreat, it is karma being “purged” out with a lesser evil than if that karma was left to ripen in a secular surrounding.
 
Another way is to engage in activities that are Dharmic, with a sound motivation, or to do pujas, etc...
The best is to follow one’s Guru’s instructions.
 
Any karma that opens while being engaged in a spiritual activity can become an opportunity, while if it is only experienced in secular terms, it may only be a slide down straight to hell.

[icy]

A high lama once mentioned that the ripening of karma is our incentives on the spiritual path.  It best to carry on with our practice with love, compassion and guru devotion.  Nothing is permanent hence be patient with obstacles they will break through.  When obstacles broke through, you will walk in victory and progress on the path and gain realisation.

[Dondrup Shugden]

I like this opinion, quoted below, on our Karma.  As Buddhist, we believe in Karma, the only one inheritance we take along with us from death to next rebirth, whatever form it may be. So let us learn more in this precious human form to combat our negative karma so that we may die and be reborn with a less negative karma and continue our spiritual journey to enlightenment.



“When we experience the results of our negative karma, we train ourselves to think, "It's good I'm having this problem because my negative karma is being consumed. This karma could have resulted in horrible suffering that lasted a long time in a miserable rebirth. I'm glad it's ripening now as a comparatively lesser suffering which I can manage. Because this karma is finishing, it will now be easier for me to progress on the path." We habituate ourselves to this way of thinking, and with it, we build up strength of character to endure suffering. This way of thinking works for Buddhists, but I wouldn't advise telling people who don't understand karma to practice like this. They could easily misunderstand.” Venerable Thubten Chodron

Training our mind this way, we are able to let go and make us a stronger person. The main thing is to be aware of what we are thinking and feeling; to determine whether our mental, verbal and physical actions are skillful or unskillful, virtuous or non-virtuous. However, if we chose to ignore the workings of karma, we tend to create many problems for ourselves and others.  We may not be strong, we put the blame on others, we are angry at others and we may even run away to avoid reality which eventually creates more sufferings for ourselves.